PART 1
The Jetta was a booted three-box version of Volkswagen's hatchback Golf, designed to appeal to the US market in particular and more conservative buyers generally. Introduced in 1979, it was 15in longer than the then-current Golf Mk1 and available with either two or four doors. It was updated as the Mk2 from 1984, and in this guise lasted until the third generation arrived in 1992.
The Mk2 Jetta was available with a range of petrol and diesel engines, from 1.3 to 2.0-litres. Our 1989 GTI has a 16-valve twin-cam 1.8-litre unit under the bonnet, the most powerful and sporting variant at the time. It should be capable of delivering 136PS/134bhp at 6100rpm and 168Nm/124lb.ft at 4600rpm, but the engine in our car is decidedly dormant – it will spin over so we know it is not seized, but it is very definitely a non-runner. The car has no MoT history available because its last ticket expired long before the government put those records online. Unusually though, we do know some of the background to this
